Danny Turitz

Danny Turitz, b. 1951, is a painter and sketch artist. He earned a BFA in painting from Philadelphia College of Art and has also studied at Tyler School of Art in Rome. Turitz has lived in New York City for most of his life though now resides in New Jersey.

Turitz’s recent work explores how we experience the ordinary as well as the way in which the ordinary becomes extraordinary and “evokes imagery which is not neutral.” He is drawn to everyday objects found in his backyard or on the city streets. Objects as “mysterious structures” inspire him, and his subjects “take on attributes of human mood or meaning.” To Turitz, “A painting of a shrouded outdoor grill, a tangled garden hose, plastic stacked lawn chairs or homeless carts suggest the human condition and the effects of isolation, melancholy and degradation.”

Recently, Turitz’s work was displayed at Front Art Space in New York City. Turitz also developed an art school in New Jersey, known as Artlab, of which he has been the director for over twenty-two years. Artlab’s students range from pre-school age children to teenagers and adults. The programs has thrived by “meeting the needs of children who love the arts and their parents who understand the value of art in their children's development.” Turitz feels that his program “stresses the process of making artworks versus a product oriented approach. Students are introduced to basic art concepts relative to the analog activity of drawing, painting and sculpture." He has also sold work privately and paints commissioned portraits.